Build your own blockchain network or try to break one!
Blockchains rely on a Consensus Protocol: a strict algorithm forcing computers to agree on the same state of recorded data. But what happens when network parameters change? The experiment is in your hands. Come build a stable live blockchain network or try to sabotage its communication!
Blockchains like Ethereum are massive, global networks used for digital assets, tracking global supply chains, verifying identities and beyond. All without a central entity. Instead, thousands of independent computers work together to process transactions in the network.
Because they don’t know or trust each other, they rely on a Consensus Protocol: an algorithm that helps them to agree on the exact same history of events.
Without this vital agreement, the system would collapse into conflicting versions of the truth. Our research explores how this consensus is formed, maintained, and sometimes compromised.
To demonstrate how this complex technology functions, we’ve built a miniature, fully operational blockchain network out of Raspberry Pi computers. Through a central touchscreen, you can manipulate the network parameters in real-time. You may adjust how fast information flows to cause communication delays, make the calculation tasks harder or easier for the computers, or define how the computers talk to each other.
Each computer features a dedicated screen, allowing you to watch live as your changes are affecting the system. Will your blockchain stay secure and stable, or will you manage to crash the system?
